Wednesday, December 17, 2008

By request, some thoughts on Oprah, the size of a person's ass and healthy happiness…

Jason, a bitch didn’t watch the episode nor have I had the chance to read the article. What I did see were several quotes and out-takes from Oprah regarding her disappointment in having gained back some of the weight she lost a few years back.

Now, I’ve been skinny and I’ve been overweight. I’ve listened to people judge others for that shit and been insulted regardless of the size of my own ass.

The thing is…and I think Oprah eventually circled back to this point…that folks need to be healthy. This bitch happens to think that the road to healthy requires the fuel of happiness and that happiness isn’t achieved by ripping into yourself because you’re carrying extra pounds.

Shit, when I'm unhappy I'm far more likely to eat sometime foods all the fucking time and in large quantities!

And there’s nothing less attractive than a person mouthing off about how fat someone is or how some celebrity has let it all go to hell…and when a body turns that superficial shit on themselves 'tis just sad.

Cough.

This bitch’s "ah ha moment" regarding weight came when I faced surgery for fibroids several years back. I gained a lot of weight…some of it due to meds and a lot of it due to a serious affection for dulce de leche ice cream (yum!) and all things fried. And I said a lot of unattractive and sad things about myself. But when I sat in a hospital waiting to go into that operating room, the size of my ass was the last thing on my mind…and you can bet your ass it didn’t return to be top of mind when I was blessed to wake the fuck up three hours later.

Sigh.

Yeah, I’ve been skinny and full of figure and everything between.

And I’ve been fine as hell through it all (wink).

It just took a healthy dose of reality for me to really realize that.

Mayhap Ms. Oprah is working toward achieving a healthy happiness as she strives to achieve a healthy weight/appearance/shape for her ass.

One thing's for sure - if she feels like everyone is talking about her weight she need only look at the dieter in the mirror for the source (wince).

I did see the episode and read the article and it was more about how she always bragged when she lost the weight and she felt she should be honest when she gained it to. She said taht the weight is no longer her main focus, her health is and she'll be judging that be her blood sugar, cholesterol, etc and by how she feels.

I thought it was a pretty good acknowlegdement for everone who has 'fallen off the wagon' in any sense. It was more about not letting the fact that you messed up make you stop and lead you to failure.

Many moons ago, I loved a man who said I was too heavy. I starved myself to the size I thought he'd like, but still got no love. A good friend pointed out that in his desire to change my body, he was dishonoring my lineage -- all the women who came before me. I ditched that motherfucker, and have honored my body in all of its lovely variety ever since.-- Shelly

Ms. Winfrey needs to stop beating herself up on this. And, all the sheep that follow ANYONE without thinking, should check themselves. What I think of when I think of Oprah is here's a woman who dares to make some bold moves and seems to move on - except for this issue. Not everything she does is a success, but she keeps trying. THAT is hard - especially in front of everyone.

A few years back, Scientific American ran an article on body image. In it was a comparison of two computer generated images. One was of a woman of mesomorphic frame contoured according to standard distributions of muscle and fat for a healthy adult. The other was an average of currently popular runway models. Shall we say the reality and the fantasy were 'divergent'?

I have lost quite a bit of weight lately for health reasons..my three blown discs in my lumbar region. It didn't require a lot of energy, just walking on my treadmill every day for an hour and not eating a LOT of the good but high-calorie foods I love.

we love people for their souls...not their clothes size.

I still have a long way to go if I want to be svelte...which I don't. ;)

For years, I have "battled" my weight. Some battles I won, some I lost. About three months ago, I declared a cease fire - I am sick and tired of starving and excercising myself to exhaustion to fit someone else's idea of what is ideal for a woman. I started to listen to my own body and feed it nutritious foods. I threw away the measuring spoons and food scales and allowed my body to tell me when it had enough to eat. The result, I have lost 15 pounds without really trying.

I just found your blog and it's amazing! This post made me laugh out loud and nod my head in agreement. Self-love is SUCH a big part of health. It's like, this BIGGEST part! Keep up the good work, stranger.

I am a personal trainer - not the crazy scary kind - but a real person with real struggles. My mother put me on a diet when I was 8, and I've been at war with food and my body ever since. I started working out about 8 or 9 years ago, and it really helps. It's not MIRACULOUS like we see on TV. But I keep working my workouts, love myself more, set a better example for my kids, put on my music and get myself moving. I coach my clients to love themselves, as they are, without reservation. Fitness, weight-loss, health -- it's all a mirage if you're dying inside. So I say, love your life, do your best, and if you like your treats, do the workout first.